Completion of Valley Gardens project’s first two phases celebrated

The stunning images show the full extent of the £11 million project which has taken two years to complete. Contractors and council officers have also worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to finish the work.

The first two phases of Valley Gardens have seen improvements to open spaces and transport corridors between St Peter’s Church and the Old Steine, including new cycle lanes, priority lanes for public transport and landscaped spaces.

Fencing around the public spaces has now been removed with residents and visitors enjoying the open areas.

The latest stage of consultation on phase three of the project has just ended and will be considered by the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee later this year. Work on phase three, from the Old Steine to the Palace Pier, is due to begin in 2021.

Steve Davis, chair of the Valley Gardens Working Group, said: “It’s great to see the first two phases of this project complete and people already enjoying the new look open spaces. I’d like to thank everyone who has played a part in turning the vision into reality and look forward to the final part of this wonderful open space coming to fruition.

“We’ve already had a lot of positive feedback about the area and it’s a place I am sure residents will enjoy for years to come. Valley Gardens is an important gateway to the city and one of the first areas people see when they arrive.

“The new cycle lanes and improved transport access will mean easier, safer and sustainable travel at the heart of our city and be a relaxing destination.”

The project has cost approximately £11 million. £8 million was made available for these two phases by the government through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership. The remaining funding came from developer contributions and the council’s own Local Transport Plan budget.

Jonathan Sharrock, chief executive at Coast to Capital, said: “Our vision at Coast to Capital is to build our economy back stronger, smarter and greener, Valley Gardens 1 & 2 is a fantastic example of how our towns and cities can be enhanced with sustainability in mind.

“I look forward to seeing developments with the next steps of the project.”

Phases 1 & 2 of Valley Gardens contains:

• 135 new trees

• 2,900m2 of additional green space

• 1,300m2 of wildflower meadow

• 37,000 new plants

• New footways, seating and lighting throughout

• 17,800m2 of resurfaced roads

• 560m segregated cycle routes

• 1500m of shared and on-street cycle facilities

• Two new public squares and event spaces

Opposition spokesperson Gary Wilkinson said: “This is such a positive project for our city and to already see people using the new open spaces has been fantastic.

“The transformation of Valley Gardens has taken time and a lot of hard work, but the end result has made it all worthwhile and is something the city can be extremely proud of.”